Marie Antoinette
Rate Movie[Total: 12 Average: 4.1]
- Directed By: Sofia Coppola
- Written By: Sofia Coppola
- Release Date: October 20, 2006
- Domestic Distributor: Sony (Columbia)
- Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $40 million | Financed by: Relativity; Sony; Pathé; Tohokushinsha Film Corporation |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $15,962,471 | Overseas Gross: $44,954,718 |
Marie Antoinette was majority financed by Relativity Media’s $700 million hedge fund Gun Hill Road II, which covered the financing for a slate of 19 films from Sony and Universal. Marie Antoinette was the first project released from the Gun Hill Road II slate and was listed as a major money loser for the fund. Budgeted at $40 million, Marie Antoinette also received funding from Sony, Pathé and Tohokushinsha Film Corporation and it was distributed in most markets by Sony.
Pathé distributed the picture in France and dated Marie Antoinette for one week after its Cannes premiere to ride a wave of publicity it would receive at the festival. The France release was months earlier than other countries. Pathé spent $3 million on marketing, including a lavish Cannes red-carpet preem and despite a mostly negative reception at the festival (and boos), the film pulled in a solid $7,870,774.
Sony dated Marie Antoinette for October 20 and opened the film only moderately wide at 859 theaters. Reviews were lukewarm and it bowed against The Prestige, Flags Of Our Fathers and Flicka. The opening numbers were $5,361,050 — placing #8 for the slow weekend led by The Prestige. Audiences gave Marie Antoinette a toxic C cinemascore and it fell 46.9% in its second weekend to $2,845,815 which would end its chance at a theater expansion. It did post a small 22.2% third weekend drop to $2,212,839 but the film quickly faded from theaters with just $15,962,471. Sony would see back about $8.7 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not cover the P&A spend.
The picture had mediocre results overseas with a $44.9 million cume. $15.7 million of the offshore gross was from Japan distributed by Toho and the $7.8 million gross from France for Pathé. The film went straight to video in Russia and a few smaller markets.